Elliotte Friedman in his always great
30 Thoughts tossed out this interesting nugget yesterday.
5. Much of the trade speculation around the upcoming draft surrounds Edmonton at number four, but is it possible things really begin with Columbus one pick higher?
The conventional wisdom is the Blue Jackets will go with Jesse Puljujarvi there, as Toronto and Winnipeg are expected to take Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine one-two.
Columbus needs centres as much as anything. If the Jackets believe Puljujarvi can play there long-term, it’s a no-brainer. If not, could they trade down a couple spots, add an asset and still get, say, Logan Brown? Might be something to consider.
This is interesting as it hasn’t been really brought up before. Most speculation has been about the Jackets trying to acquire the #2 pick so they could get Laine and Puljujarvi much like how Brian Burke was able to get the two Sedin’s.
Personally I think it would be crazy for the Jackets to move down. This seems to come up every year around draft time, the idea of best player available versus team need. I think teams should always pick the best player available, regardless of need. Needs can change very quickly over a season. Look at the Jackets; they went into last off-season with a real need for a high end defencemen. This off-season they now have three players who fit that bill in Ryan Murray, Seth Jones and Zach Werenski. You could argue that Zach Weresnki was a needs pick last year but really it was more of the best player available happened to line up with the team needs. If the best player available at 3 was a centre that would be fantastic, unfortunately it isn't, but realistically that shouldn’t be much an issue.
It’s never a problem having too much of a good thing. The Jackets have plenty of prospects out on the wing, even before adding a Puljujarvi. It’s much easier to trade from a position of strength. If the Jackets do add Puljujarvi, that would make it easier to deal a Kerby Rychel. That could open the Jackets up to making another Brandon Saad type of trade, where they trade young talent for a more established NHL player. This is where the team should be looking to address its weakness at centre.
The other issue I have with this is neither of the centres projected to go in the top 10 (Logan Brown and Michael McLeod) strike me as having first line upside. Brown is the big centre standing at 6’6, and has many people comparing him to Joe Thorton. However in my viewings of Brown, he wasn’t that effective. For a guy his size he tended to play on the perimeter and didn’t get to the dirty areas in the corners or in front of the net. He has a pretty good skill level putting up 74 points in 59 games, but he doesn’t blow you away with his tools.
McLeod is also big (6’2) but needs to add strength and weight to his frame. He's an elite skater who likes to carry the puck and have it on his stick. He has great hands and is a very good passer. He’s a smart player who always seems to be in good position. The issue with McLeod was he didn’t put up a ton of points this season, just 61 in 57 games. There is some team effects going on here, Mississauga wasn’t a strong team this season which played a part. With that being said McLeod played alongside Alexander Nylander who is a fantastic player, as well as Nathan Bastian who is getting some first round buzz, so it’s not like he had poor line-mates.
If the team had a lower pick in the 8-14 range I would have no issue going after a player like McLeod. Brown I wouldn’t target until the later first round, and if the Jackets had a pick in that range he would be a fine player to target. The gap between them and Jesse Puljujvari is large and doesn’t make sense to address a current need with a player who is likely 2+ years away from making an impact in the NHL.
So you know my thoughts on the matter. What do you think? Should the Jackets consider trading down to get a centre? Or are they better off keeping the pick and drafting Jesse Puljujarvi? Have your say in the comments.
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